WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yesterday, Romania’s Minister of Environment, Water, and Forests (MMAP)
Cristiana Pașca Palmer announced
a decision to ban trophy hunting of brown bears, grey wolves, lynx, and
wild cats, saving an estimated 1,691 animals from becoming trophies.
Romania’s virgin forests are home to most of Europe’s remaining large
carnivores, and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) commends
Romania’s precautionary move to protect these species from the threat of
hunting.

“Europe’s remaining large carnivores are under incredible stress from
the threat of habitat loss from illegal logging, and need all the help
they can get,” said Allan Thornton, president of EIA. “EIA welcomes
Romania’s decision to increase protections for most of Europe’s
remaining brown bears, grey wolves, lynx, and wild cats.”

In the past five years, at least 1,394 brown bears, 967 wolves, 240
lynx, and 1360 wild cats have been shot for trophies. Hunting these
species has been technically banned for the past nine years under the EU
Habitats Directive, but every year since 2007 the Romanian government
has authorized a limited amount of hunting, supposedly as a means of
population control. Environmentalists have questioned the scientific
validity and methodology of these studies, which have been
shown to substantially overestimate the populations of these
species. Instead of killing, the government has established a new
emergency program for relocating and otherwise dealing with problem
animals.